Joint for folding rules



Oct. 20, 1953 N. H. PROCTOR 2,655,730

JOINT FOR FOLDING RULES Filed Aug. 2, 1951 INVENTOR NEILH. PROCTORATTORNEY Patented Oct. ZO, 1953 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE JOINT FORFOLDING RULES Neil H. Proctor, Rives Junction, Mich.

Application August 2, 1951, Serial No. 239,904

i Claims.

The present invention relates lto improvements in joint for foldingrules and the like and has for its object to provide a simple,inexpensive but eiiective joint characterized by the fact that the jointis formed without removal or perforation of the material from which therule is formed. In addition, the present invention is characterized bythe fact that my improved joint is such that the jointed sections of therule may be releasably positioned at 45, 90, 135 and 180, and be rigidlymaintained in each position of adjustment.

Thus, one of the objects of the present invention is to provide afolding rule, or the like, in which the joint does not require removalor perforation of the material from which the rule is formed.

Another object of the invention is to provide a folding rule of the typedescribed in which the adjacent sections of the rule may be releasablyheld in predetermined positions of angularity with respect to eachother.

These and other objects and advantages residing in the speciiicconstruction, arrangement and combination of parts will be more fullyunderstood and appreciated from a consideration of the followingspecification and the appended claims.

In the drawings,

Fig. I is a perspective view of a portion of a folding rule embodyingthe principles of the present invention,

Fig. II is a cross-sectional view taken on line II-II of Fig. I,

Fig. III is a cross-sectional view taken on line III-III of Fig. I,

Fig. IV is a perspective view partly shown in broken cross-section ofone portion of the joint, and

Fig. V is a view similar to Fig. IV of the other portion of the joint.

Referring to the drawings, the sections IIB and I2 of the rule arepreferably o1" wood of uniform thickness throughout their length and theonly operation to receive the metal joint members is conned to roundingthe end of each strip as at I and providing a bevel at the edgesadjacent the end as indicated at I6.

The joint comprises two sheet metal stampings I8 and 20 each havinglongitudinally extending anges 22 which are crimped upon the bevelededges IB of the ends of the sections i@ and I2. To prevent longitudinalmovement between the joint members I8 and 20, they are each formed withinwardly extending projections 24 to pene- 2 trate into the body of thematerial of the sections I0 and I 2 at the time of assembly.

Prior to applying the joint parts I8 and 20 to the wooden sections I0and I2, the extruded central collar portion 26 of the parts 20 isextended through the central aperture 28 of the part I8 and riveted overproviding a hinge joint with a ange 30 holding the parts assembled asclearly shown in Fig. II.

From Fig. V it will be seen that the part 20 has wedge shapedlongitudinally extending p-arallel rib members 32 which are pressed outfrom the web 34 of the part 20 and extend outwardly in the samedirection as the extruded central collar portion 26. These rib membersdei-lne between them recesses 35 into which the longitudinally extendingribs 38 mate to support the sections I0 and I2 in the full line positionindicated in Fig. I. Also pressed out of the web I0 of the part I8 areradial rilos 42 which, likewise, engage with the recesses 36 of the part20 to position the sections I0 and I2 of the rule in the dotted linepositions shown in Fig. I, which by way of example only, are located at45 to each other. It will be under.. stood that the joint parts I8 and20 rotate relative to each other about the collar 26. The outturnedflange 30, as shown in Fig. II, holds the joint parts I8 and 20 in rigidassembly. As the projections 38 and 42 of the joint part I8 pass intothe projection 38, it is necessary for the parts to spring relative toeach other approximately the thickness of the metal. In practice, it hasbeen found that this amount of deflection is not suiicient to in any waydestroy the eiiectiveness of the pivotal connection between the jointparts I8 and 20 provided by the collar 29 and its out-turned flange 30.As will be clear from Figs. II and III, I have provided a joint in whichthere is no perforation or removal of the material from which thesections I0 and I2 are formed. This has been accomplished by forming therecesses 36 by the wedge shaped ribs 32 on the outside surface of theweb on the part 20.

I-Iaving described my invention what I claim as new and desire to coverby Letters Patent is:

l. A joint for folding rules comprising a pair of sheet metal channelshaped parts in which the ends of adjacent rule sections are clamped bythe sides of the channel, means defining a pivotal connection betweensaid Iparts with said parts in back-to-back relationship, the webs ofthe channel of said parts having portions deflected out of the planesthereof away from the channels in which the rule sections are clamped,said deiiected portions of said parts mating with each other toreleasably interlock said parts in different positions of angularadjustment.

2. A joint for folding rules characterized by its attachment to rulesections of uniform cross-section Without perforation or removal ofmaterial of the rule sections comprising thin sheet metal parts havinganges for clamping the longitudinal edges of the rule sections, saidparts having web portions defined between said flange with centrallylocated apertures therein, the material of one of said aperturesdefining an extruded tubular pin extending into the aperture of theother of said parts with an out-turned flange to form a pivotalconnection between said parts, portions of said Webs being deflected outof the planes thereof in a direction away from the rule section clampedby said flange to denne mating portions upon said parts for releasablyholding said joint in position of angular adjustment.

3. A joint for folding rules as defined in claim 2 wherein said deectedportions are disposed upon opposite sides of said pivotal connection.

4. A joint for folding rules as deiined in claim 2 wherein the deflectedportions on one of said parts are in the form of lateral spacedlongitudinally extending ribs dening an axially extending recess withthe web of the part, and the deflected portion of the web of the otherof said parts is in the for-m `of radially located rib mating in saidrecess.

NEIL H. PROCTOR.

References Cited in the le of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS NumberName Date '1,293,079 Gasstrom et a1. Feb. 4, 1919 1,983,651 Anderson etal. Dec. 11, 1934`

